Masters Theses

Date of Award

8-1987

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Nursing

Major

Nursing

Major Professor

Sandra P. Thomas

Committee Members

Pat Smith, Johnie Mozingo

Abstract

This pilot study investigated the research question: Can the perioperative nurse utilize preoperative teaching to change the intraoperative anxiety levels of patients having a breast biopsy under local anesthesia? Day surgery patients generally do not receive structured preoperative teaching. In addition, about one-half of day surgery patients have their surgery under local anesthesia, which heightens anxiety due to the patient's awareness of the environment and the surgical procedure.

A total of six subjects participated in this pilot study. Data were collected by the use of two instruments: (a) a demographic data form developed by the researcher and (b) the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) developed by Charles Spielberger (1983) and his colleagues to measure anxiety. Three of the subjects received preoperative teaching by the investigator, while the other three received only the routine preparation.

Due to the unanticipated small sample size, statistical analysis of the data was not possible. Several uncontrollable variables made it difficult for the researcher to make generalizations concerning the findings. Therefore a case study approach was employed.

It was noted that all six subjects had increased anxiety during the intraoperative phase. Possible reasons for this phenomenon include: (a) potential for a malignancy, (b) the use of local anesthesia, (c) feedback from family and friends, (d) preoperative teaching from the surgeon and other nurses, (e) influence from support person, (f) previous surgical experiences, and (g) increased risk factors (i.e., positive family history of cancer). The pilot project was useful in laying the foundation for future research designed to measure the effects of preoperative teaching.

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